Different allopathic drugs are being used for the treatment of diabetes mellitus but more emphasis are being placed on the use of medicinal plants, herbs, and natural extracts of fruits and vegetables due to their easy availability, easy consummation with low cost, and with no well-reported side effects. White skinned sweet potato (WSSP; Ipomoea batatas L.) peel-off was selected to find out its antidiabetic potential as well as to explore the effects on selected biochemical parameters in diabetes-induced Wistar rats. In young (3-4 months) and old (up to 1 year) diabetic Wistar rats, it was found that WSSP ( I. batatas L.) peel-off significantly ( P < 0.05) decreased blood glucose level, protein glycation level, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol. A significant ( P < 0.05) increase in high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol level after treatment was also reported. Furthermore, it was also found that WSSP peel-off also had beneficial effects on total protein concentration, albumin, globulin, and liver enzymes (serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT) and serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT)). It might be concluded that antidiabetic potential of WSSP extract is due to the presence of bioactive compounds like glycoprotein, anthocyanins, alkaloids, and flavonoids, which act as insulin-like molecules or insulin secretagogues constituents in sweet potatoes peel-off and these antidiabetic proteins were extracted out in more concentration in methanol due to its organic nature. Further research is needed to purify and quantify the antidiabetic components responsible for antidiabetic effects of WSSP and it should be available in compact dose form for the treatment of diabetic patients.
Keywords: Wistar rat; biochemical parameters; diabetes mellitus; glycation; medicinal plants.